As we kickoff the second portion of our journey we’ll hop onto the famed Shinkansen which an express train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Kyoto was once Japan’s capital and is now a hot tourist destination for exploring an abundance of temples, shrines, and gardens which are spread across its city limits. We’ll checkout a number of cultural sights while also partaking some sake tasting and local nightlife. Not only will we experience a traditional tea ceremony while dress in a Kimono, but if we’re lucky we may even spot some Geisha scurrying off to their next appointment.

Osaka is usually considered the younger sibling to Tokyo as San Francisco is compared to Los Angeles. While the cities don’t quite house the same demographics, Osaka is the largest city in the Kansai region while Tokyo rules over the Kanto region. These regions even use different dialects and Osaka sends to have a more carefree and hip attitude while Tokyo is more suit and tie uptight. In fact, for whatever reason, throughout Japan you typically stand on the left side of an escalator and pass on right but while in Osaka, it’s the opposite for no apparent reason.

Nara is typically a ‘must see’ when visiting Osaka as it’s just a quick train ride away. Nara is a small rural area often associated with spiritual and sacred sites. Nara is home to thousands of deer who freely inhabit the lands. The deer are friendly and have grown accustomed to seeing tourists although when hungry, they may get a little aggressive if you attempt to feed any particular one. There’s plenty of temples and adventures to be had in Nara and we’ll have a packed day wandering the local woods.